Improvement in tobacco-presses



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDIWIN S. COLLINS, OF ASPEN WALL, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOBACCO-PRESSES.

Specification forming .part of Letters Patent No. QZSSS, dated April 1'7, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN S. CoLLINs, o Aspen Vall, in the county of Charlotte and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco-Presses; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon.

The nature of Iny invention consists in arranging the several parts of the press together, substantially in the manner hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure I represents a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a plan view with the le ver removed.

In the figures, A represents a platform upon which is erected three standards, B, C, and D. The standards B andC are connected together at their tops by means of two stout sills or bars, E E. Vorking between these sills E are three gear-wheels, G I-I I, which are secured upon suitable shafts, which shafts have their bearings upon the sills E. The sha-ftv upon which the small gear-wheel or pinion I is secured rests upon one of the sills E in a sliding journal-box, o. This journal-box is kept in proper position by means of a pin, a,

as seen in Fig. l. By sliding the box toward the wheel H the pinion I will leave the wheel G and catch into said wheel H, and vice versa. The shaft of pinion I is provided with a crank and handle, I).

F represents the press-lever, one end of which, it will be seen, passes through a mortise in the standard D, which mortise is made large enough to allow the lever a vertical play at its other end. A cord or chain, J, is attached to the outer end of the lever and passes around the shaft of wheel G, and is secured to it.

B represents an arm, which projects from the under side of the lever, and is hinged to it, as seem A cord, K, is secured at one endto the lower end-of this arm, the other end of said cord being secured to the shaft of wheel H. f

S represents a cord which attaches to the under side of the lever F, and which also passes around and is secured to the shaft of wheel II, but passes around in the opposite direction from the cord K. This cord S is not essential, and will not be used at all times, and some persons may not'use it at any time. It is only intended to bring the lever down more rapidly than it could be brought down `by cord J, as the-wheel H is much smaller than wheel G, and consequently turns around oftener.

N is a guide for the purpose of steadying the lever F.

L represents a sword, which is made of iron, and which passes through a mortise in the beam. To the lower end of this sword is attached a press-head, which passes into the barrel M. and' serves to press the tobacco. The sword L is also provided with holes, through which pass pins to keep it in proper position. A pin passes through a hole in the sword under the lever to prevent its rising when the lever is brought down upon the tobacco to press it. The object ofA this sword is to do away wit-h the old plan of blockingin leverpresses.

The object of having two wheels, II and G, for raising and lowering the lever, is this: Vhere only one wheel is used, and the lever is raised and lowered by the same, if a block gives way, or any portion of the press gives way or breaks, so that the lever drops suddenly, as is often the case, the crank P is suddenly reversed, and often does much damage to the person or persons turning the crank. Men are sometimes crippled and are sometimes killed by this reverse action of the lever. By my arrangement this difficulty is enl tirely obviated. In raising the lever the pinion I is in gear with the wheel H, and in bringing it down again it is in gear with the wheel G. Thus, if anything should give away while the lever is coming down it will drop without affecting the wheel G or the pinion I and its crank I), and thus can do no damage to the operator.

I do not lay any claim to any of the parts herein named specilically, nor tor other combinations of the same; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

'The arrangement of the lever F, the adjustable sword L, the arm R, and the cords J K, with t-he wheels G H I, and the.sliding journal-box o, when the same are-connected together, operated, and used, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

EDWIN S. COLLINS.

I Vitnesses:

C. M. ALEXANDER, A. A.VYEATMAN. 

